Music-leaf turner.



Patented Oct. I, I90I. A. D. HOLMES.

luslc LEAF TURNER.

(Application filed Aug. 80, 1900.)

(' Iodol.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR D. HOLMES, 0F MINoo, INDIAN TERRITORY;

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

srEcIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,467, dated October 1, -190i. Application filed August so, 1900. Serial No. 28,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concer'm.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR D. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Minco, in the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference thereon, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to music-leaf turners; and it has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and durable device of this nature which may be operated by depression of keys to turn the leaves of the music one at a time and which may be readily operated to return one or more sheets or pages of the music, as may be desired, further objects and advantages of the invention relating to details of structure, all of which will be evident from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate similar part-sin the several views, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the complete device with the arms thereof in position to turn the leaves of the music. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of one of the arms. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the end portion of an arm. Fig. 4 is a section through one of the cross-bars of the device and showing one of the holding-clamps in elevation. Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the shaft forming one end portion of an arm and illustrating the engaging position of one of the release-keys. one of the adjustable rests. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the release-keys.

Referring now to the drawings, the present music-leaf turner includes a music-rack consisting of end pieces 1, to which are connected upper and lower cross bars or pieces 3 and 2, respectively, and extending upwardly from which are the side or end pieces a and the upper cross-pieces b and c, which latter are attached to the pieces aand have their adjacent ends turned upwardly and separated by an interspace to receive a clip 34, which is pivoted to said upturned ends. Extending from the portions b and o to the cross-bar 3 is a back-piece 35, against which the clip is Fig. 6 is an elevation of adapted to hold the music. Connecting the pieces a and adjacent to the cross-piece 3 is a music-rest 5.

The cross-pieces 2 and 3 are provided with bearings which aline in pairs, and in each pair of bearings is rotatably disposed a shaft 16, the upper end of which is enlarged and bifurcated, the said enlarged end lying above the cross-piece, and in each bifurcated end is pivoted the lower end of an angular arm 8, 9, 10, and 11, respectively, the upper ends of these several arms being bent laterally to lie behind the leaves of the music to be turned. To prevent pivotal movement of the arms rearwardly, each arm has a pin or finger 14 extending from its lower end and which when the arm is in alinement with its respective shaft 10 lies in a recess in the rear face of the shaft. The several arms may, however, be pivotally moved with their upper ends forwardly on their pins 13 to permit of placing the music with ease.

The arms are held normally and yieldably in the opposite positions to those shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by means of helical springs 27, one of which is disposed upon each of the shafts and is attached at one end to the shaft and at its opposite end to the cross-piece 3. lVhen the arms are turned to the positions shown in Fig. 1, they are turned against the tendency of these springs, and to hold them in such positions a series of latchlevers are provided.

There is one latch-lever 19 for each of the shafts 16, and each of said levers consists of a spring-metal plate attached at one end to the cross-piece 2 and having a pin or stud 18 for engagement with a recess 17 in the face of the shaft. When the shaft is rotated against the tendency of its spring to lie in the position shown in Fig. 1, then the recess 17 is in position to receive stud 18 and the stud holds the shaft in this position. The lever has a key 20 at its free end, and when this key is depressed the lever is moved to draw the pin or stud from the recess and permit the spring to rotate the shaft, and thus carry the connected arm to the opposite position. It will be understood that when the arms are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 the musicleaves are placed thereagainst, and as the keys are successively depressed the arms are successivelyturned to turn the leaves. Before an arm has turned a page it lies behind the page, and after it turns the page it lies on the face of the page and tends to hide a portion of the music. To reduce this covering of the page to a minimum, the end of each arm is offset in the direction of the music-page, so that only the end portion touches the page, and this touching portion is drawn down to a knife-edge to cover only a single line upon the page.

In order that one or more leaves of the music may be returned when desired, the shafts 16 are projected slightly beyond the cross-piece 2 and to different degrees, andto the projecting end of each shaft is attached a crank, as shown at 22, 23, 24, and 25. The handles of these cranks overlap, and thus, if the lowermost handle be returned, all of those handles, and therewith their shafts, that lie above the handle that is grasped are likewise turned and the arms therewith.

To hold the device to a piano, organ, or other support, the cross-piece 3 is provided with clamps, including spaced plates 28, with one of which is'engaged a thumb-screw 29, carrying a clampin g-j aw for cooperation with the other plate. Adjustable rests 6 are provided, and each consists of a screw, which is engaged with a portion of the frame of the device and having a padded head to prevent injury to the object with which it engages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. Amusic-leaf turnerconsistingofaframe having two parallel cross-bars, rods having coiled springs sleeved thereon journaled in said cross-bars, one end of each of said springs secured to its rod, the other end secured to one of said cross-bars, arms bent at right angles hinged to said rods, springs having rods 18 secured thereto, said springs secured at one end to one of said cross-bars, said arms 18 adapted to yieldingly engage said rods, cranks secured to the lower ends of said rods,

sic-leaf turner a series of rods journaled in said cross-bars, coiled springs sleeved on said rods with one end of each secured to its rod,

the other ends of said springs secured to the upper cross-bar, arms secured to the upper ends of said rods, said arms having a horizontal portion which is adapted to touch the music at the outer end only, and made wedge-shaped as shown withthe sharp edge downward, flat springs having the arms 18 secured thereto adapted to engage said rods, said coil-springs adapted to swing said arms around from right to left when said arms 18 are released from said rods, crank-arms secured to the lower ends of said rods, for the purpose specified.

3. I11 the herein-described music-leaf turner a frame having two cross-bars, a series of rods passing through said cross-bars, the upper ends of said rods each provided with a hinge, an arm secured to each of said hinges, each of said arms having a horizontal portion, fiat springs having the arms 18 secured thereto, said springs secured at one end to said cross-bars, the opposite end provided with keys having letters thereon, said rods having a notch thereon, said arms 18 adapted to engage said notch through the medium of said flat spring, a clamp for securing said music-leaf turner to a piano, coiled springs sleeved on said rods, each secured at one end to its red, the other end secured to one of said cross-bars, and cranks secured to the lower ends of said rods, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

ARTHUR D. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

W. A. DUNNELL, J. G. CONDIT. 

